Chapter 7: Punishing a band of three

“Pa!”

Huston kicked up a patch of grass and struck it on Ayrin's face with deadly accuracy.

What made people even more petrified was, Ayrin still didn't show any sign of waking up. He still snored rhythmically, even after the patch of grass fell from his face.

“Wake him up right now!”

Huston almost couldn't bother maintaining his own image anymore. It was nasty enough already when he said he didn't know what his own dream was just now. This time he actually had the gall to fall asleep. Did he really think he was only for show?

“Sleeping even here even now, interesting!”

Belo became immediately excited again. He grabbed Ayrin and shook him shook fiercely, he even happily gave Ayrin a kick.

Ayrin finally woke up with great difficulty, his eyes droopy.

Huston controlled his temper that was on the verge of exploding. He wiped a handful of shiny, greasy hair and asked with a fake smile, “Classmate, do you think my level is too low, what I'm saying is too boring?”

Looking at Huston's insidious appearance, every freshman knew Ayrin was going to be very miserable. But what made them even closer to fainting was, Ayrin wasn't completely awake yet at this moment asked with a confused, “What?”

“You just fell asleep.” Huston looked very coolly at Ayrin and said, “That's why I asked you if my level was too low and what I'm talking about too boring.”

Ayrin immediately shook his head.

In truth, he was certain it was the bloodline acting up again. On the way here he'd eaten breakfast to his fill, and as a result, that inexplicable drowsiness had suddenly struck once again. He'd fallen asleep before he even had time to put up a resistance.

Huston smiled coldly, seeing Ayrin's headshake. “If it's not because the quality of my lecture is too low, then it must surely be because your learning is sufficient already and you don't need to study? If that's the case, then repeat the content I talked about just now. Start from the power of arcane masters. From which two parts does the arcane master's power comes from? Hurry up and tell us!”

Ayrin weakly answered, “Physical strength and arcane power...”

“Go into more details. There's also the difference between arcanists and arcane masters I talked about!”

“Physical strength is divided into two parts. One part is the power stored inside all the tiny particles of our bodies, called physical power. The other part is the power of the spirit's will. As to arcane power, it's the power from the external elements we can sense after our Awakening. People who can only use body movements to make physical strength and arcane power achieve a certain degree of integration are called arcanists. Only those who can refine physical strength and arcane power into “primordial arcane particles” and store them inside the body can be called arcane masters. There are in total seven “arcane gates” that can store “primordial arcane particles” inside an arcane master's body. We can open these “arcane gates” after going through training, tempering, and even fighting. The more “arcane gates” we can open, the more “primordial arcane particles” we can store, and the more powerful the arcane master.”

“There's something even more fundamental for an arcane master, what is it?”

“It's the power of bloodline. Pure giant bloodlines have astonishing innate physical power and extraordinary strength. Pure beastmen bloodlines are born with the power of wild changes and inconceivable explosiveness...”

“Very good.”

Huston couldn't have imagined that Ayrin already remembered these things from the inside out when he was still in Cororin. But he merely smiled when he saw Ayrin being able to repeat them so clearly and so completely. “Since your learning's truly good, then the “Explosive Blazing Punch” is also very easy for you. Come out and demonstrate for us.”

“The little shorty is screwed.”

Moss started to take delight in Ayrin's misery as soon as he heard Huston.

Every Holy Dawn Academy teacher trained in different martial skills. Only a small fraction of them studied the “Explosive Blazing Punch,” Huston among them. The parents of many freshmen present at the scene were arcane masters, some of them even former students from Holy Dawn Academy, but the teachers they'd met were different and the martial skills they'd learned were also different. On top of that, they were sent to Holy Dawn Academy as soon as they Awakened, to learn the basics. That was why Moss was certain there might not even be a single person there who'd learned this “Explosive Blazing Punch” in advance, to say nothing about this shorty who came from Cororin.

Ayrin helplessly stood up and walked in front of all the freshmen, his lack of confidence written on his face.

He only heard the first part of Huston's explanation. He didn't even see the complete scene of Huston firing his punch out afterward, he was already asleep.

“Charge swiftly with quick steps and stamp down... bring up a flow of wind as much as possible... When you feel the brush of the raging winds, match it with the chant and focus your spirit very fast, then use arcane power...”

There was no way out now, Ayrin could only bite the bullet. Under Huston's proud eyes, he tried to remember Huston's explanations about the “Explosive Blazing Punch” as fast as he could, then he charged out forward.

“Explosive Blazing Punch!”

After Ayrin's swift and loud chant, everyone saw Ayrin's entire right arm ignite with red blaze the moment his fist flowed out, a blaze that quickly wrapped around his fist then assembled into a fiery cloud that exploded with a rumble.

“Success?!”

“He actually really blasted out a blaze, he used the Explosive Blazing Punch?!”

“Where does he come from, how can he comprehend this arcane skill in one try?”

Freshmen immediately exploded in disarray. There was even an expression of adoration to be found now in the eyes of many girls when they looked at Ayrin.

Moss was still delighting in Ayrin's misery a few seconds ago. Now he was thoroughly frozen.

The proud expression on Huston's face also instantly stiffened.

How was that possible!

The “Explosive Blazing Punch” looked simple and sounded simple when explained, but many key points, even the most basic speed at which arcane power circulated, were impossible for beginners to achieve without going through repeated practice. Back in the days, even he himself could barely display the “Explosive Blazing Fist” after a full ten days of practice. Moreover, he couldn't even guarantee success every time.

Ayrin was a little dumbfounded himself. Only, he vaguely felt this move didn't seem very difficult for him.

This wasn't a coincidence!

True freshmen couldn't possibly achieve such speed in their manipulation of arcane power!

Huston came back to his senses and thought there was one possibility. That was, Ayrin had already learned the “Explosive Blazing Fist” beforehand.

“You actually provoke me on purpose, you're dead for sure!”

Gnashing his teeth in his mind, he decided to record Ayrin's name a hundred times in the small notebook. He actually put on an expression of praise on his face however. “Classmate, since you've learned the “Explosive Blazing Punch,” then I might as well teach you the 'Ardent Whirlwinds' next.”

“The secret of this 'Ardent Whirlwinds' is to very quickly compact arcane power in both your hands, then coordinate the actions of the ten fingers, swing your two hands and instantly burst out ten spinning wind whips. This is an arcane skill that snatches victory in close range thanks to its speed and the scope of its area. An opponent of the same level will usually be injured even if they barely manage to block it. This arcane skill is actually much more powerful than the Explosive Blazing Fist.”

“Watch carefully!”

Huston had already completed his explanation before Ayrin had time to say anything. His two hands stretched forward like lightning.

His upper body and shoulders seemed entirely still, but his arms were like whips that vibrated and crisscrossed.

Woo!

Everyone felt their scalp tighten at the deep explosive sound.

Ten vortexes visible to the naked eye appeared in front of him, intersecting and pulling away, sounding like genuine whips.

“Amazing, this is even more powerful than the Explosive Blazing Punch!”

“What a cool secret skill!”

“It seems like there's suddenly ten transparent fox tails in front of you. How can someone escape when they face that, they'd be whipped for sure!”

A chorus of astonished voices immediately rose.

The voices made Huston once again proud of himself.

He looked at Ayrin, all smiles, and said, “Did you see it clearly? This time it's your turn.”

Everyone's gaze immediately gathered on Ayrin.

“Amazing, let me try!”

Ayrin glanced at Huston in wonder. He simulated the way Huston did it, stretched his hands out.

Ayrin had an inexplicable feeling the moment he stretched his hands out. He felt that no matter what movement he made or what thing he learned, it shouldn't go so smoothly for him. But now he seemed to be naturally imitating Huston's motions from the moment his hands went out.

This feeling, that he was different than usual, made him slightly distracted.

“Ardent Whirlwinds!”

“Woo!”

The sound of the wind rose between his fingers the moment he became slightly distracted.

The arcane power gathering at high speed on his hands spread out along his fingers, then suddenly rushed out and produced streams of air. However these streams of air weren't like the ten spinning ones Huston had created, but several scattered gusts instead. Two of them that collided together in front of him. The fierce, raging winds rushed to his face.

There came an “Ah.” Ayrin cried in pain. He covered his eyes and almost fell down butt-first on the ground.

Stillness descended on the field.

“Haha!” Moss stared blankly, then he couldn't hold back a loud laughter. “Little shorty, this is actually the first time I see someone get his face slapped by his own secret skill and almost fall. Please, can you be a little more hilarious?”

“Impossible!”

Huston originally stood there proudly, his hands behind his back. Now he watched Moss' great laughter mock Ayrin's sorry figure. His sleeveless undershirt was soaked with cold sweat.

He could clearly tell that Ayrin only met with a problem in the interval of his fingers and the speed he flicked them toward the end.

The hardest part of this “Ardent Whirlwinds” was to gather arcane power as fast as possible and compress it to a certain degree during the extremely short time the five fingers were clenched into a fist.

Don't mention a new student who'd only just had his Awakening, even those who already studied for half a year in Holy Dawn Academy wouldn't necessarily be able to achieve this point. And the most important thing was, this “Ardent Whirlwinds” was a secret skill pass down in his own family. It'd never been taught in Holy Dawn Academy before.

Could this guy be a real genius?

Even if you're a genius, you still slept during my class!

“You can get your own face slapped by such a simple martial skill, yet you still have the gall to sleep in my classroom?” The corner of Huston's mouth trembled a little on its own even as he tried his best to stay cool and collected. He said, “Go stand on the road outside the stone forest. It's your punishment, properly reflect on your actions!”

“Teacher, this 'Ardent Whirlwinds' is no simple martial skill at all. I think it should be impossible for anyone here to use it the first time they try?” Belo's voice suddenly came.

“Is it now?”

Huston looked at Belo and his face full of challenge and impetuousness. Then he smiled an ominous smile as he watched all the freshmen. “Who else thinks this isn't a simple martial skill? Please come forward.”

Every freshman could tell this “Notebook Teacher” was trying to make trouble for Ayrin on purpose. Now Huston's gaze gave them the willies straight away as it swept by them. Who would still be brave enough to stand out?

“Look at that, it seems there's no one else who thinks the same as you do. Also, who allowed you to talk as you please?” Huston stretched out a finger and pointed at Belo, then pointed it again outside the stone forest. “You can go stand together with him. Let the students outside have a look at the result of not complying with my class' discipline.”

Moss took immediate pleasure in their misfortune, thinking, you be impetuous again, shout again about making me lick your feet... But he only had a few seconds of happiness before Huston's finger pointed his way. “You also, red-haired kid. Who allowed you to laugh so loudly earlier, you also go out and stand there!”